The present invention relates to a pressure loaded or compression panel, partition, end piece or bulkhead with a frame made of fiber reinforced compound material to be used in a pressurized fuselage in an aircraft.
Bulkheads expected to be exposed to significant pressure differentials constitute, for example, the end portion of a pressurized cell or compartment in an aircraft. They are usually made of aluminum or titanium for different modes of construction or manufacture. For reasons of safety, crack stoppers or crack arresters are included. These are necessary since the metals used for this purpose, though furnished with many well known advantageous properties as far as the aircraft industry is concerned, do nevertheless exhibit certain unfortunate behavioral characteristics such as propagation of cracks or other damage. It is for this reason that aircraft with pressurized fuselages will in the future include pressurized bulkheads consisting largely of metal parts.
The aircraft known as Beechcraft Starship built by the U.S. Beechcraft Corporation has a pressurized fuselage made in its entirety of fiber reinforced materials. The rear end bulkhead is made of a planar laminated sandwich construction which includes a honeycomb core with two cover plants. In order to mechanically stabilize this device two frames are provided on the outside.